A waitress at Jake’s Steakhouse and Sports Bar serves two customers. A cook for Jake’s Steakhouse and Sports Bar said the businesses located Downtown tends to get a good crowd during Chiefs training camp.
A bartender at Hi-Ho Bar and Grill serves two customers. Hi-Ho already has seen people stop in who are visiting for Chiefs training camp.
Sara Rooney | News-Press NOW
A waitress at Jake’s Steakhouse and Sports Bar serves two customers. A cook for Jake’s Steakhouse and Sports Bar said the businesses located Downtown tends to get a good crowd during Chiefs training camp.
Sara Rooney | News-Press NOW
Businesses in St. Joseph are painting the town red as Chiefs training camp is underway.
The sound of fans cheering isn’t all that’s heard in St. Joseph during the three weeks of Chiefs training camp. Cash registers in town also are ringing up sales as crowds visit the city to see their NFL heroes on the practice field.
The 12th year of Chiefs training camp at Missouri Western State University began Thursday. Brett Esely, director of development and sports commission at the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the impact of the camp on Buchanan County is huge.
Based on a formula from the state of Missouri, a family of four is estimated to spend roughly $450 when they travel to St. Joseph.
“That makes up lodging, meals, any shopping they might do, gas, recreation, groceries, you name it,” Esely said.
The training camp in 2019 was the largest to date at Missouri Western with 63,000 people in attendance.
“The estimated economic impact for nearly 63,000 fans, knowing they’re not all staying, knowing that some of those fans certainly live here in the community, is about $5.3 million,” Esely said. “That doesn’t include the team, players or coaches that potentially could be spending more here in town.”
The Chiefs stayed in Kansas City for camp in 2020 due to COVID-19 protocols, and although the team returned to St. Joseph in 2021, Esely said last year’s event was different due to pandemic restrictions.
“There were no autographs, there were limits on attendance per day,” Esely said. “This year, we’re kind of back to normal. Will we get to the figures in 2019? That’s anybody’s best guess, but I do know that there’s a lot of people that are making up for lost time.”
Mark McKnight, a bartender at Hi-Ho Bar and Grill, said this is the fifth training camp season he has worked.
“Every year it seems to build and build to where we can see the economic impact and how it affects people returning back to St. Joseph and liking Hi-Ho and enjoying our food and the ambiance of the Red Kingdom with a little luck of the Irish,” McKnight said.
McKnight said he expects Hi-Ho will be very busy in the next couple of weeks.
“We’re expecting a big turnout for Tech N9ne,” McKnight said. “It’s going to be awesome to welcome everybody from the surrounding area and it’s a major economic impact in the region to have such a great event to show off the beauty of our city and the improvements that we’ve made. I’m proud to be part of the Red Kingdom.”
Hi-Ho already has seen people stop in who are visiting for the training camp, he said.
“Yesterday afternoon (July 27) we had about 20 people come,” McKnight said. “We had a couple from Excelsior Springs and a couple of guys from Kansas City that came up and we were pleased that they all came and be a part of the Red Kingdom.”
Chris Landman, a co-founder of River Bluff Brewing Downtown, said when Chiefs training camp comes to St. Joseph, his business sees an influx of tourists and locals who have never been in.
“We definitely expect to see some influx,” Landman said. “We expect this weekend to be pretty exciting.”
River Bluff Brewery is selling hats and shirts to celebrate the camp coming to town. The brewery also released a beer called Arrowhead Red.
With training camp underway, Esely said many in St. Joseph are looking forward to the next few weeks.
“We’re extremely excited training camp is back in a capacity that we know,” Esely said.
Training camp practices will take place at Missouri Western through Aug. 18.
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